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Sunday, July 24, 2016

Create Snapchat GeoFilters for Your School or Event

This past week, I attended the Discovery Education Summer Institute and they had their own SnapChat GeoFilters for the event. Several of us thought that was a great idea to bring back to our schools as another way for our families, students, and staff to promote events and to show school pride since SnapChat is favored among younger users.

SnapChat GeoFilters are image overlays that SnapChat users can place over their pictures before sending pics through the app, saving their pics, or sharing on other social media. Here are some examples from the SnapChat GeoFilters site:

Making and submitting a SnapChat GeoFilter is fairly simple:

First you need to decide what type of filter you will be creating. There are two types:

1. A community filter- for a place or event with NO logos.

2. An on-demand filter- for businesses WITH a logo or branding ($).

Next you need to create a design. Your filter needs to follow these guidelines:

You can use any image editing software you like. I use paint.net. It is a FREE and powerful editing program. Just create a new file with the correct dimensions and then use the Magic Wand tool to make the background transparent. (The gray and white boxes indicate transparency.)

Now add the images and text for your school or event filter. Make sure those images also have transparency around them. Use the Magic Wand tool to take out backgrounds.

Save as a .png file.

You are now we are ready to submit your file to SnapChat for approval!

In both types of filters you will need to upload you designed filter, provide your information (or Snapchat login, choose the geo-location for the filter, and the dates of use. The geo-location determines where the filter will be available. Click around your school, football field, or other event location to create the geo-location.

If you have an on-demand filter (like this one with a logo), you will be required to make your payment at this time. (The on-demand submission tool looks a little different.)

Your Snapchat GeoFilter will be reviewed and published soon and ready for your students, parents, and staff to enjoy!

This post is dedicated to and created for my amazing friend and media specialist extraordinaire, Sandi Dennis. High Point Elementary is her new school.